BS ISO 26900-2024 PDF

Full title and description

STB BS ISO 26900-2024 — Space data and information transfer systems — Orbit data messages. This standard defines standardized message formats and accompanying requirements for exchanging spacecraft orbit information (ephemerides, orbit parameters, mean elements and comprehensive orbit content) between space agencies, satellite operators and related service providers.

Abstract

ISO 26900:2024 specifies four standardized orbit-data message types — the Orbit Parameter Message (OPM), Orbit Mean-Elements Message (OMM), Orbit Ephemeris Message (OEM) and Orbit Comprehensive Message (OCM) — and the rules, keywords, units, time-tags and structures required to exchange orbit information reliably between organizations. The standard supports both a human-readable Keyword = Value Notation (KVN) and an XML encoding (choice agreed by exchanging partners), and includes requirements to represent states, ephemerides, maneuvers, uncertainties (covariance), accelerations and related metadata for operational uses such as tracking, navigation, conjunction assessment and collaborative maneuvers.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 9 February 2024
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO); also published/adopted in national/partner catalogs (e.g., BSI as BS ISO 26900:2024).
• ICS / categories: 49.140 (Space systems and operations)
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2024)
• Number of pages: 225

Scope

The standard establishes message formats, required and optional keywords, units, time reference conventions and structural rules for exchanging spacecraft orbit information between agencies, operators and service providers. It is intended for use in pre‑flight planning, scheduling and carrying out tracking support, orbit propagation and reconstruction, orbit comparisons, conjunction (collision avoidance) analyses, and collaborative maneuver planning. While the formats are designed for single‑spacecraft files (and parent/child deployment scenarios via the OCM), implementations may agree extensions for other architectures.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of four orbit message types: OPM (Orbit Parameter Message), OMM (Orbit Mean‑Elements Message), OEM (Orbit Ephemeris Message) and OCM (Orbit Comprehensive Message).
• Message structure: headers, metadata blocks, mandatory and optional keywords, and data sections with clear units and time‑tag conventions.
• Support for KVN (Keyword = Value Notation) and XML encodings; ASCII is the recommended character encoding for KVN exchanges.
• Representation options for orbit states (cartesian and Keplerian), ephemeris time histories, accelerations and spacecraft maneuvers.
• Specification for uncertainty and covariance representation to support conjunction assessment and orbit determination interchange.
• Operational guidance for message usage in tracking, navigation, orbit comparisons and collaborative operations between agencies/operators.

Typical use and users

Primary users are space agencies, satellite operators, mission and ground‑segment engineers, flight dynamics and orbit determination teams, tracking networks, conjunction assessment services, aerospace contractors and software/tool vendors that implement ephemeris and orbit‑data exchange. Typical uses include transmitting predicted and reconstructed orbital data, scheduling tracking passes, sharing maneuver plans, performing collision-avoidance calculations, and integrating multi‑agency tracking and navigation support.

Related standards

ISO 26900:2024 is aligned with CCSDS orbit message recommendations (it is the ISO designation of the related CCSDS recommended practice). It replaces the earlier ISO 26900:2012 edition and is part of the broader family of space data and information transfer systems standards maintained by ISO TC 20/SC 14 and CCSDS; implementers often use it alongside other CCSDS/ISO space‑data interfaces and mission operations documents.

Keywords

orbit data messages, OPM, OMM, OEM, OCM, ephemeris, orbit parameters, CCSDS, KVN, XML, spacecraft navigation, conjunction assessment, tracking support, covariance, maneuvers

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 26900:2024 specifies standard message formats and rules for exchanging spacecraft orbit information (orbit parameters, mean elements, ephemerides and comprehensive orbit data) between agencies, operators and service providers.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers four message types (OPM, OMM, OEM, OCM), message structure, mandatory/optional keywords, units and time conventions, encodings (KVN and XML), representation of states, ephemerides, maneuvers and uncertainty (covariance) information, and intended operational uses such as tracking, navigation and conjunction analysis.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Space agencies, satellite operators, flight dynamics teams, ground‑station networks, mission planners, aerospace contractors and software vendors that need to exchange orbit/ephemeris information interoperably.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 26900:2024 (Edition 2) is the current edition published in 2024; it supersedes ISO 26900:2012.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the space data and information transfer systems family of standards and is published in coordination with CCSDS recommendations (the ISO designation corresponds to the related CCSDS orbit‑message documentation). National adoptions (for example BS ISO 26900:2024) and tracked‑change national publications may also be available.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: OPM, OMM, OEM, OCM, orbit message, ephemeris, KVN, XML, CCSDS, covariance, maneuver.